The photos that were removed showed Chipper acknowledging a standing O from the Mets fans and one of the Mets owners, Wilpon, giving Chipper a special painting of Shea Stadium with Chipper’s stats included.

Also removed from my Comment #1 (aside from the NY Post photo) was my statement that although I have been a Mets fan for my whole life and watched Chipper kill us repeatedly over the years, I was glad for my team to show such class even in an awful baseball year for them.

Well, I’m confused as to why you just didn’t remove the offending photos and leave what was within the rules (the under 300 word excerpt and my words in comment#1) there in the first place. You just should have removed the entire thing since it is so decimated now it is worthless. I’ve only been here since ‘98, but someday I’ll get the hang of this.

R.A. Dickey = Cy Young fav in my book. Been great for Mets last two years, this year unreal. 80mph knucklers in the strike zone. When he is on, just sick. Saw Dickey vs the swinging O’s one hitter, couldn’t believe what I was seeing the ball do. Will watch any game RA pitches, and I’m not a mets fan.
Chipper = 1st round Hall of Fame, going out on a fantastic year, hasn’t happened too often. Classy of the Mets.

I never liked Chipper Jones and I never liked the Mets, but this is one of those sports stories that kind of transcends individuals and team identities. Jones spent his career beating up on the Mets on the field, but never had a bad thing to say about them off the field even when Mets fans heaped tons of abuse on him. In fact, he often went out of his way to point out that he'd feel the same way if he were a Mets fan. That's what a passionate sports fan is all about.

One of former Yankee heroes, Don Mattingly, was the same way -- and he really stood out for it. In his later years, long after his chronic back injuries tarnished what would surely have been a Hall of Fame career, he would be treated very well by opposing players and fans all over the league. In a biographical video that was produced by the YES Sports Network after he retired, one of his former managers described how time seemed to stand still when Mattingly was at the plate in batting practice before a game ... with opposing players and coaches crowded around the cage to watch his magical swing, and fans (even in ballparks on the road) crowded into the lower seats to get a glimpse of him.

It's enough to make even a hardened sports fan emotional. This is what baseball is all about.

Growing up as a 10 y/o in Brooklyn, my buds and me used to take the subway to Ebbets Field and see the Dodgers a year before they moved. We would get there a few hours before the game and wait for the players to park nose-in against the stadium. They would sign autographs (we would bring our baseball cards and programs) and sometimes give us balls. Furillo, Hodges, Amoros, Gilliam and the big star, Duke Snider were all terrific, as were several other players. Never saw Robinson or Koufax up close, though.

We would almost always sit on the first base side so we could be close to Kluszewski or Musial when the Redlegs or Cards came to town. It was there that I first learned of the NY fans' ability to respect other players...we loved both Klu and Stosh. I am glad to see that kind of respect for talented, decent ballplayers continue.

I'm sure this happens in other cities (I would guess, though, NOT in Philadelphia). Can any of you tell me if that happens elsewhere?

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